These super soft Easy Yeast Rolls are out of this world! They are so fluffy and buttery! Believe it or not, it is so simple to make these. All you need is a few basic ingredients. With this well proven classic recipe, they ALWAYS turn out too good to be true.

We promise you will feel like a pro after making these yeast rolls. This is one of our best bread recipes. But if you are still looking for a quicker recipe, check out our no yeast dinner rolls recipe.
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Our cheese stuffed Turkish rolls pogaca are usually on high demand at gatherings. But when we want something simpler but as good, we go for these yeast dinner rolls. And when we need a super quick bread, we go with our super easy no yeast bread loaf.
Why We Like This Recipe
- It’s absolutely a must-have. First of all, making your own dinner rolls gives you a great feeling. Plus, it is healthier as the packed ones has additives and more sugar.
- These are pillowy soft. You just don't want to stop eating them.
- They are sooo handy. You can have them with soups or as a side dish with almost any meal. We like to make these especially when we are having some guests over for dinner because one batch can definitely feed a crowd.
- They also make great after school snacks the next day. Or just spread some jam and butter or make mini sandwiches with cheese or whatever ingredients you have and put them in the lunch box.
- You can easily reheat or freeze the leftovers.

About The Ingredients
You do not need a lot of things for this recipe, just 7 simple ingredients: Instant yeast, sugar, water, flour, salt, milk and butter.
There are several kinds of flour you can use:
- All-purpose flour: You can use it in many yeast bread recipes like this. It is the most common type of flour to make bread.
- Bread flour: You can end up with a better texture with bread flour as it has more protein and gluten. It rises slightly better than all purpose flour and has a chewier texture.
- Whole wheat flour: You can definitely use it as well. However, it gives a heavier texture to your bread. So it might be better to use a mixture of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour.
- Gluten free flour: You can use this recipe with gluten free bread flour. However, to help the dough rise, we recommend substituting plain yogurt or buttermilk for milk. Again not cold but at room temperature. You might have difficulty in shaping the dough because there is no gluten, so I would just divide the dough and bake them in muffin tins.
Unlike several homemade dinner rolls around the web, this recipe doesn’t require eggs. There is really no need for them. Yeast, butter and milk work perfectly together for the texture. You end up with super soft, fluffy and buttery rolls thanks to them.
You can also use olive oil instead of butter to make the rolls lighter. But we all know that buttery rolls taste better.
How To Make



- Prepare the ingredients: To make the yeast mixture, whisk together warm water, instant yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Wait for 5 minutes. Although this step is not necessary for this type of yeast and you can just whisk it together with flour, we find it works even better when mixed together with warm water first.
- Measure the flour: A cup of flour weighs about 125 grams. When you don’t have a kitchen scale, use a measuring cup. Stir the flour in the container first and spoon it into the cup. Shaking or pressing it down might cause wrong amount of flour. After filling the cup with flour, level off the top using a knife.
- Heat the milk until it gets lukewarm. It shouldn't be too hot, be careful. If it is too hot to touch with your finger, cool it down a bit.


- Melt the butter and let it slightly cool.



- Make the dough. Now at this step you can use one of the following two methods:
- Method 1 (Kneading with hands): Combine flour, salt, milk and butter in a large bowl. Then pour the yeast mixture in the large bowl and combine everything using your hands. Now, knead it with your hands right in the bowl. You should wet your fingers with a little water occasionally so that the dough doesn't stick. Keep kneading until you have a smooth but slightly sticky dough.
- Method 2 (Using Stand Mixer): Put flour, salt, milk and melted butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Then pour the yeast mixture over them. Now beat using the dough hook or paddle attachment of your stand mixer on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides. Keep beating for 1-2 minutes until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough.



- Make the first rise: Transfer the dough you have prepared into a large bowl that is slightly greased. Make sure it is not greased only at the bottom but all the sides inside. Now cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour to rise.


When the dough doubles in size, punch it down to release the air.
- Shape the dough: Now transfer the dough on the slightly floured counter and shape it into a log. Cut it into 12 slices. Roll each into a ball and place them in a 9x13 baking pan that is lined with parchment paper.


- Make the second rise: Now cover the baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the rolls rise, at least for 40 minutes.
- Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes or until golden at 375F/190C preheat oven.

- Brush the rolls with melted butter when they are still hot and let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving. This is an extra step that gives the rolls a wonderful shiny look.
Expert Tips
- All the ingredients should be warm or at room temperature. This is very important when making something with yeast.
- The consistency of the dough is very important. It should not be too tough or too loose.
- Giving enough time to the dough to rise properly is very important.
- The temperature where you wait the dough is very important. Put it in a warm and draft-free place. Make sure it’s not a cool or cold place like the balcony. Or don’t leave the windows open, especially in cool weathers. Otherwise your dough won't rise.
- Punching the dough after the first rise is important. Yeast causes some gas as it rises. After the first rise, release the air out of the dough by punching it down to get rid of that gas. This will also relaxes the gluten and the dough has a better texture.
About Rising Twice
Why is rising bread dough twice essential? As most of the yeast bread recipes, this one requires rising the dough twice. The main reason for this is that we want a nice texture inside our bread rolls. We punch it down and release the air after the first rise. So the second rise will help the rolls get wonderfully fluffy. In addition, you will have a more developed flavour thanks to the second rise.
What do you cover dough with when rising? You can use a piece of cloth, a towel, foil or a plastic wrap.
Can you speed up dough rising? Yes you can. Warm and moist environment can speed up dough rising. There are two small tricks you can try:
- You can rinse a towel or a cloth in warm water and you can cover your dough with this damp towel. Your towel should be wet but no dripping waters should come from it. Let it rise for 30-40 minutes.
- You can also rise your dough faster in a microwave. Put a glass of water in your microwave (make sure the glass is heat-resistant). Turn on your microwave and heat the water for 2 minutes. Then do not remove the glass, but put your dough in a small bowl in the microwave, as well. Do not turn on the microwave. Let the dough get the warmth of the microwave and the moist from the water for around 30-40 mins.

How To Reheat
There are two great ways to reheat the leftover dinner rolls:
- In the oven: This is my favorite method because I think it works better because it takes a bit longer. Preheat the oven at 350F/175C. Put the rolls in a baking pan. They can overlap, which is better indeed. This helps preventing the rolls from drying. Alternatively, you can wrap each roll in foil and place on a baking sheet. Heat for 5-7 minutes.
- In the microwave: Place the rolls on a plate that is heat-safe. Cover the rolls with a damp kitchen towel and then wrap the whole plate with a dry kitchen towel so that the rolls are completely covered. Heat for 30 seconds.
How To Freeze
They can definitely be frozen but make sure they do not stay in the freezer more than one month. The taste won’t be as good after one month. Put them in storage bags or air-tight containers and store in the freezer. When you need them, take them out and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then you can reheat them using one of the methods mentioned above and there you go. Your dinner rolls are ready.
Serving Suggestions
These homemade dinner rolls pair wonderfully with comforting soups. Here are a few soup recipes you can make to serve them with:

Frequently Asked Questions
Dinner rolls should be stored in plastic bags or wrapped in foil. Also, it is important that they should be stored at room temperature, not in the fridge because they will become dry in the fridge.
There might be a few reasons for this. Did you knead your dough long enough? Or did you let it rise long enough? These are important.
Your dough might have too much salt in it or the content of the flour you use might have little protein. Or maybe you left your dough to rise in a place that was too hot and it killed your yeast.
Again there might be several reasons behind it. Here are some important points to be careful about:
Make sure your yeast is good. It should be stored in refrigerator and it should not be too old.
The water you use to make your dough should not be too hot. Too hot water kills the yeast. Too cold water is not good for the yeast either.
Make sure you give the dough enough time to rise. It should rise to a double size.
Kneading for about 10 minutes is mostly enough. At the end of this duration, your dough should hold its shape. get smooth and slightly sticky. Plus, you can make a poke test. Poke that ball of of dough with your finger firmly. If it fills back quickly, it is well kneaded. If it doesn’t fill back, keep kneading.+
Dough is loose and tears easily when it is under kneaded. Keep kneading until it holds the shape and doesn’t tear easily.
If dough is dense and tough, it is over kneaded. This dough will not easily rise, so keep the rising time a bit longer.
Yes! It would be way easier for you. Use a dough hook attachment and make the dough in your stand mixer.
Yes, you can definitely use this recipe. Mmmmmhhh I suddenly feel the smell of cinnamon. If you love cinnamon like me, you can also make our pumpkin vanilla cinnamon rolls, which are made with a very similar recipe. It is especially great for fall/winter afternoons with a cup of hot tea.
More Bread Recipes
- Ramazan Pidesi (Turkish Pide Bread)
- Cornmeal Bread
- Bazlama Bread
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Yeast Rolls
Super soft, fluffy, light and buttery homemade dinner rolls with yeast.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 and ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 and ¼ cup warm milk
- ¼ cup melted butter
Optional Topping:
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together warm water, dry yeast and sugar. Wait for 5 minutes.
- Method 1 (Kneading With Hands): In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, milk and butter. Pour the proofed yeast in the large mixture and combine everything using your hands. Knead it with your hands right in the bowl. Wet your fingers with a little water occasionally so that the dough doesn't stick. Keep kneading until you have a smooth but slightly sticky dough.
- Method 2 (Using Stand Mixer): Put flour, salt, milk and melted butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Pour the proofed yeast over them. Beat using the dough hook or paddle attachment of your stand mixer on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides. Keep beating for 1-2 minutes until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough.
- First Rise: Transfer the dough into a large bowl that is slightly greased (not just the bottom, all the sides inside). Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour to rise.
- When the dough doubles in size, punch it down to release the air.
- Second Rise: Transfer the dough on the slightly floured counter and shape it into a log. Cut it into 12 slices. Roll each into a ball and place them in a 9x13 baking pan that is lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise, at least for 40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
- Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from the oven and brush each with melted butter and let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Keep the leftover rolls tightly covered at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Notes
- All the ingredients should be warm or at room temperature. This is very important when making something with yeast.
- The consistency of the dough is very important. It should not be too tough or too loose.
- Giving enough time to the dough to rise properly is very important.
- The temperature where you wait the dough is very important. Put it in a warm and draft-free place. Make sure it’s not a cool or cold place like the balcony. Or don’t leave the windows open, especially in cool weathers. Otherwise your dough won't rise.
- Punching the dough after the first rise is important. Yeast causes some gas as it rises. After the first rise, release the air out of the dough by punching it down to get rid of that gas. This will also relaxes the gluten and the dough has a better texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 176
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 206.2 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.1 g
- Protein: 4.1 g
- Cholesterol: 15.3 mg
Keywords: dinner rolls, homemade yeast rolls
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CYNTHIA CHIMBLO says
Thanks YUSUF, Made these for Thanksgiving yesterday. Big hit. I used 408 grams of Gold Medal Bread flour plus another 45gm for kneading. Baked up beautifully golden and tender on inside. It's a keeper.
★★★★★
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Cynthia,
So happy to hear that you enjoyed these rolls for Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing which flour you used, it will definitely be helpful for others.
Cheers!
Elaine says
This recipe is great! I reference it often when I want to make bread :). A tip if you're trying it yourself, I find 3.5 - 4 cups of flour works better than 3.
★★★★★
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Elanie,
So happy to hear that you love this dinner roll recipe as much as we do. It is one of our go-to bread recipes.
Thanks for the tip! We always make these with the given measurements, but the type of flour might make a difference.
Cheers!
Carmen says
These look delicious. Can I freeze the dough? At what point do I freeze it?
★★★★★
Tracy Godfrey says
Omg these were so good... just starting trying to make my own breads etc and I will defiantly be using this recipe again. Thank you for a great recipe
★★★★★
Yusuf says
Hi Tracy,
So happy to hear that you loved these rolls. These are our favorite too, especially with butter and some cheese 🙂
Thanks for the feedback!
DeaMaree says
I have attempted these rolls twice. Both times the 3 cups flour was not enough for the dough to come together. Added flour until dough pulled away from sides of bowl (using stand mixer and dough hook). First time, it took almost a whole additional cup and the rolls were dense and crumbly. Second time I added less extra flour, but am afraid the extra flour and extra “knead” time will effect the texture again. Why will my dough not come together with the ingredients as lists?
Yusuf says
The dough should still be slightly sticky when all the ingredients are combined together. You might have to add a little extra flour, but a whole additional cup is definitely too much. What kind of flour are you using?
Mary Ann says
Hi my name is Mary Ann. Rolls made today for first time. I made in bread machine on dough cycle. Dough perfect.Rolls beautiful. My husband said these rolls taste like his beloved Mother’s rolls. I will make this recipe replacing many roll recipes that I have made in the past. Delicious, beautiful rolls and the rolls look like I bought from a Bakery. Thank you.
★★★★★
Yusuf says
Hi Mary Ann! So happy to hear that you and your husband loved the rolls! Thank you so much for your feedback!
Anne says
I made these rolls today and they turned out so good! I just added a little more sugar because I wanted it sweeter. Kids spread nutella in the center and I spread butter when they were still warm. YUM! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★